I Love You
by Rai Lockhart
Summary: Being the wife of the Kazekage meant constantly being worried, always wishing him luck, always hoping he would return.


**A/N: This is my first attempt at a one-shot, so sorry if it's a bit long. It's for a winner of a contest of mine, RawrRemy. I hope you like it, and any reviews are appreciated.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, or any of the characters here. Please read and review!**

"Gaara," Sakura said, brow furrowing slightly.

Said man turned around, and looked at her. "Yes, Sakura?"

The pink haired kunoichi bit her lip. "Good luck." He just nodded, and disappeared out of their house. She watched him leave, watching his tall, lean form melt into the horizon.

She knew when she married him it would mean constantly being worried, always wishing good luck, always hoping he'd come back. The unknowing life of the wife of the Kazekage.

It sucked. How she wished to be there with him, making sure nothing happened. Having to live with the fact that she might never see him again was a normal shinobi life. And it sucked, too.

That was last week. She had spent the following days unable to sleep at all.

Sakura sat down, finishing up her breakfast. She had to attend an elders meeting today, in place of her husband. Their voices were probably some of the most boring things that ever graced her ears. With a sigh, she picked up her dishes and cleaned them by hand, something she only did when she was stressed.

He could be doing something life threatening!

The cloth moved on the plate with a slight squeaking sound.

He could be in danger, and could get hurt.

_SQUEAK!_ The noise was becoming louder.

He could be in a fight to the death with Sasuke.

_Swish! SQUEAK! Eeek!_

He might never come back.

The plate shattered in her hands. Small ceramic pieces stung her skin like needles. She quickly put her hands in front of her face, dodging the sharp bullets as they flew toward her.

Stupid super strength, that was the fourth plate she's broken this month! With several quick jerks, the larger pieces were out of her arms. The blood oozed out in small dribbles. She quickly made a few hand seals, wincing a bit as the green chakra flowed over her wounds. In a matter of seconds, all the wounds were closed.

Parts of her arms were covered in sticky blood. Sakura wet a cloth, and scrubbed the sticky substance off of her skin. There wasn't that much blood to get off, but she could feel the parts of the plate that had embedded themselves in her skin. Those places would be sore for a small amount of time, but they would stop hurting sooner or later.

Sakura glanced over at the clock. It was time for her meeting.

Oh, joy.

She made her way to the tower, where the Council of Elders waitied her arrival.

"She's late," one said impatiently with a annoyed drum of his fingers.

_Tap, tap, tap._ His fingers hit the desk faster and harder, waiting for the woman to show.

"She doesn't know what's going on. She thinks it's all okay." A high, screechy voice that sounded like fingernails on a blackboard rang in their ears. Those closest to the short woman winced in pain from her voice. It was so loud.

"She thinks what is okay?" A sweet, young voice entered the conversation. Many a member turned their heads disapprovingly at the newest arrival, Sabaku no Sakura. Some were happy to see her, other's looked nervous. Sakura raised a brow at their looks. Not all of them were looking at her disapprovingly?! "I only get these kinds of looks when something is wrong. What's going on?"

Her words stuck a chord in their minds she didn't even know they had.

They all looked at her with sympathy. No, not sympathy. Anything but that.

"We've just gotten word that Kazekage-sama is close to death from his fight with the Uchiha child. Both are mortally wounded, but we have no medic to spare at a time like this, when we're fighting a war."

Sakura's emerald eyes hardened. They flashed violently at anyone who tried to move. "I'm leaving." She stood up immediatley, and slammed her hands onto the desk.

The head Elder stood up. "No. We've discussed it. You are not to leave the village under any circumstances where the Uchiha is involved, an-" But the woman was shut up by the look of pure anger in Sakura's eye.

"You think I'm going to sit here, and let Gaara die? Because of SASUKE? I'm going. I'm the most experienced medic you'll ever have." The elders kept their mouths shut, and let her walk out. Sakura left the room, and ran to her house to pack.

A few more kunai, some herbs and medicines, some chakra pills. She was all set to go. The threw on her pack, and walked toward the door. She needed to get going!

But where? She opened the door, feeling so stupid that she ran out without getting the details.

"Smart move, leaving without getting any information," a cocky voice shattered her thoughts like a rock would glass. Sakura turned her head rapidly, pink hair thrashing the air around her.

"Go be an ass to someone else, Kankuro. I'm not in the mood today," she said, frowning at the black clad puppet user. He just laughed at her, like he always did when he knew something she didn't.

"Now, it that the way to speak to the man who knows where Gaara is?" Sakura's eyes widened. She bit her lip, succumbing to his pressure.

"I love you, Kankuro. You're the best brother-in-law I've ever had," Sakura stated, voice drenched in fake sweetness. She smiled innocently at him, wanting to get to Gaara _now._

"That's more like it. Come on, we're leaving." Kankuro lead the way as the two exited the village.

They ran for hours without taking a break. Both were slowing down, and Kankuro said they still had a few hours to go.

"We need to take a break, Sakura." Kankuro stopped moving, watching her as she continued to move forward. He knew she wanted to get there, but sheesh! This was crazy.

"GAARA COULD BE DEAD!" She turned to face him.

He saw the tears in her eyes. Adjusting his scrolls, he ran toward her.

As their paths crossed, he smiled. "My brother was lucky for finding someone who cares about him so much. He spent most of his life without that kind of love." Kankuro pushed past Sakura, and she just stared at him as she followed.

They spent the remaining time without a word.

Finally, they arrived at their destination. Lying in a clearing was a bloody body with blazing red hair. The chest barely rose and fell, as it was close to death.

"GAARA!" Sakura dove out of the trees, and ran to his side.

She could sense others here, but she didn't care. "Sakura, get out of there!" She recognized Kankuro's voice immediatley.

"NO!" She yelled. Gaara needed her.

"Sakura, Sakura. And here I was thinking you wouldn't let yourself fall prey to such an obvious trap." A calm, cold voice echoed in the clearing.

Sasuke. Sakura turned, wide eyed, to see the Uchiha she missed so much when she was younger. The one she had longed for. "S-Sasuke..."

Her heart suddenly started to ache. Had the council been right for not sending her? What if... what if she wouldn't be able to defeat Sasuke?

Several kunai came flying at her. She could have dodged them easily, but that would mean leaving Gaara to be hit. So, she caught two of them, and swiped at the others. Sakura watched the metal blades fall to the ground.

The raven haired man let a laugh escape his lips. "Aw, so now you love Gaara with all of your heart?"

Sakura narrowed her eyes at him. He just stood there, waiting for her to move.

"Get out of the way, Sakura. I don't want to kill you, just him." She stood up, and faced him.

"I'll never leave his side." In a flash, Sasuke was standing next to her. Her eyes were wide in wonder and shock, not realizing the potential danger she was in.

He grinned. "And after all this time, you're still annoying." Her green eyes narrowed, locking on to the crimson ones of the Uchiha. He threw a shuriken toward the seemingly lifeless body behind her. She spun quickly, but it was too late to stop the shuriken from embedding themselves into his arm. The sand didn't even come up to block the pointy stars.

She winced for him. Sasuke let out a low laugh, only to be silenced by a wooden arm. Sasuke's eyes opened wide as pain shot trough his body.

"How did I miss it?" Sasuke said, struggling to break the grip on his body. It was getting increasingly tighter.

"You let your guard down. It seems Sakura still has more power over you than you'd like to admit, Sasuke." Kakuro started another attack as Sasuke slipped out of his old one. The battle field was echoing with sounds of splintering wood and both male's screams or pain. They battled, giving Sakura enough time to start on healing Gaara.

Sasuke didn't say a word. Sakura wasted no time in starting her jutsu. Gaara's life depended on her! The green chakra caressed itself over his skin.

"SAKURA!"

She felt the skin on her back become slightly scorched. Winicing in pain, she continued. "Damnit, Sakura, move or I will kill you."

Releasing the chakra flow, she slowly stood up and faced him. "Just try it."

With those words, she raced at him, flipping out a kunai, and started her assault. They fought hand to hand, and she managed to put a gash on his arm. This was nothing, of course, to the now bleeding cut on her cheek.

Sasuke was starting to bore of this fight quickly. Sakura had no truly amazing qualities about her, and she relied on her pure strength to try and get him to leave. It was a laughable defense.

"Sakura, I'm starting to tire of you. So, move or die." When Sakura stood her ground in front of Gaara, in the same position she had used against Gaara to protect Sasuke, He shook his head. "And here I thought you might have progressed, at least a little. I'd rather fight the puppet king. And he's almost dead, too."

When Sakura didn't respond, he just smirked. "Aw, poor Sakura is mad."

She was. But her anger was still not enough to defeat the prodigy. She just made a few well placed injuries.

Hours later, Sakura was panting heavily. Her vision was becoming blurry from blood loss and chakra depletion. There were cuts, bruises, and some unidentified injuries on her body. She was about to fall over.

Sasuke wasn't in much better condition, but he could stand. And the bone-chilling laugh he gave didn't help. "You're weak."

But Sakura cut him off. "No. You're weak. Why are you so weak? Because you lack love." It was a quote that she had heard Sasuke mumble after his fight with Itachi. Instead of love, the word was hate. But that didn't matter now. Sakura stood up straighter, feeling better about this fight than she ever had.

That was, until, she saw the cold, bloodthirsty look in Sasuke's eyes that was not present before. Her pace quickened. She needed to get Gaara and Kankuro out of here, and fast.

It was too late for that; Sasuke charged.

Sakura blocked her face with her arms, and waited for the impact with closed, tearful eyes. But it did not come. Sakura peeked out from her arms, to see Gaara standing in front of her, sand protecting both of them.

"Sa.. kura. Run," he told her weakly.

"No, Gaara, I can't leave you. You're almost.. almost..." Sakura couldn't being herself to say the word. Dead was just too much for her to handle.

The sand blocked another attack by Sasuke. "Get... get Kankuro..." His breathing was much more labored now, as if he was drawing upon reserves of chakra he didn't have.

"CHIDORI!"

Both turned there heads to see lightning chakra cut through the sand. Sakura's eyes widened in horror as she cried out.

Sasuke hit Gaara with the Chidori straight in the chest. The red head looked somewhat shocked as he slumped over.

Sakura ran to his side, and cried over the non-moving body.

"He is dead, Sakura. Leave, or I will kill you." Despite the seriousness in his voice, Sakura didn't leave. She stood up, green eyes flashing dangerously.

"You killed Gaara." The raven haired man nodded, obviously tired of her by now. Kankuro's words ran through her mind. She was going to fight to the death for the one she loved more than life itself.

"So I did," he stated. With his remaining chakra, he started up another Chidori.

She used the last of her chakra to start the Mystical Palm Technique.

They both ran at each other. Sakura hit Sasuke over his heart with her jutsu, slicing his organ.

He stabbed her in the chest with the Chidori. She cried out in pain as blood came flying out from her mouth. He looked shocked as her jutsu brought his own life to an end.

They both slumped over. Sakura used the last of her strength, and life, to crawl over to the body of her most precious Gaara. Running her fingers through his hair, she smiled weakly. She laid her head over his not beating heart, and collapsed. With her last breath, she proclaimed one thing, loud enough for Sasuke to hear her.

"I love you, Gaara."

**A/N: I know, there was a lack of any real romance. D: So sorry about that, loves. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Any criticism is appreciated.**

**Rai Lockhart!**


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